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Louisiana
Louisiana's current population is almost 4.5 million and is projected to increase to about 5 million in 2020. As the population grows, the state's freshwater resources will be increasingly tapped for urban residential and industrial uses, for agricultural irrigation, for prevention of saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers, for aquaculture and rice ponds, and for the maintenance of healthy aquatic ecosystems. These competing demands on limited water resources are already presenting freshwater management challenges, and any changes in climate, such as rainfall, evaporation, groundwater recharge rates, and/or runoff patterns, will affect ecosystems and all users of fresh water. For example:
More on Louisiana: Introduction | Climate Projections | Wetlands | Fisheries | Coastal Development | Freshwater Resources | Agriculture & Forestry | Human Health | LA Resources & Links Photo Credits: Brown Pelican - South Florida Water Management District. Salinity-affected marsh - D. Reed. Merchant power plant - National Renewable Energy Lab, W. Gretz. |
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In coastal areas, the threat to freshwater resources will come from the combined effect of saltwater intrusion due to sea-level rise and the projected decrease in rainfall. Saltwater intrusion already threatens freshwater withdrawals from the Mississippi River, and from other areas such as Bayou Lafourche.
In upland areas, competing demands on fresh water will either be aggravated by decreases in rainfall or slightly alleviated if rainfall increases.
